Mounting for small-caliber guns



Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,677

G. H. CHALLENGER. Moumme FOR SMALL. CALIBER Guns.

FILED JuLY 6, 1917.

Patented 30, 1923.

UNITED GEORGE HENRY sfPATa-NT OFFICE,

CHALLENGER, OFWESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, AS SIGNOR TO VICKERSLIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND. i

"MOUNTING roe SMALL-CALIBER GUNS.

Application filed July 6, 1917. Serial Il a-179,975.,

(mm mm THE rnovr srons or THE ac'r or'haacn 3, 1921, 41 sum. 1., 1313.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY CHAL- LENGER, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway,

Westminster,

land, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relatingto Mountings for Small-Caliber Guns, (for which I have obtained a patentin Great Britain, No.

9,389, of 1915, filed June 26,1915), of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to mountings for small caliber guns particularlythose carried by an arm or frame which is pivoted to enable the angle ofelevation of thegun to-be varied and 1s rotatably carried, to enable thegun to be trained, by an aeroplane or other aircraft.

According to the invention the pivoted frame carrylng the gun isrotatably mounted at the upper part of a well or chamber in which .thegunner is accommodated preferably in a sitting position. The gun framemay be pivoted to a ring and is trained by rotating the ring by hand.either directly or through gearing; the gun is elevatedby displacingthe frame about its pivots by hand either directly or through gearin Thegun may be pivoted to the frame in suc a manner that it can be movedrelatively to the frame both vertically and laterally to en- ,ableaccurate pointing of the gun to be effected after the ring and framehave been dispaced, to bring the gun approximately into the desiredfiring position.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, the same will be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which igure 1 is adiagrammatic side elevation of the forward art of an aeroplane fuselageprovided w1th a form of the improve-- ments, Figure 2 is a plan ofFigure 1 with the frame for the gun in a different position, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation'showing the means forsupporting the gun on the aforesaid frame.

A is part of the fuselage, A is the ilots seat and A. is the gunnersseat. B, are the side members of the frame that carries the gun and B.is the rotatable ring to which these side members are pivoted. C is thein the county of London, Engthe ring B well or chamber within which thegunner 'is accommodated and at the upper end of which the ring B ismounted.

In the example shown the members B, B are in the form of arms which arepivoted to the ring B at points I), b diametrically or approximatelydiametrically opposite each other, these arms being so arranged as to,constitute the sides of an isosceles triangle or similar figure. whosebase extends through the pivots b, b of the arms B, B and whose apex I)carries the gun. The means shown for carrying the gun comprise a cli Den'- circling the casing of the gun, whic clip is pivoted at d forelevating movements to a member D having a spigot 03 which is rotatablymounted in the apex b of the arms B, B for training movements. By reasonof this arrangement of mounting, the gun canreadily be brought to anydesired angle-of elevation and training and when employed on aircraft asshewn can also be depressed to a degree which is limited only by'thecontour of thecar or fuselage on which the gun is mounted. Thus in theexample shewn. is made of approximately the same diameter as the'widthofthe fuselage and the arms B, B are made of such length that their apexb can be caused to pro'ect beyond the sides ofthe .fuselage, (see 1gure2) so that the guncan then be fired vertically downwards ifdesired, thegunner in this case standing between the said arms. The ring is arran edat such a height above the gunners seat level with the gunners shoulderswhen 'he is in the sitting position,

or head and the 2 that it is approximately said ring may be suitablypadded ar'oundits inner and upper surface to minimize or preventinjuryto the gunner if he should be.

thrown against the ring. The seat A instead of being fixed as shewn, maybe connected to the ring B so that it moves in training therewith.

The aforesaid arms B, B may be provided with counterbalancing springs orweights sov that they can be readily raised and lowered releasable meansmay be emand readily ployed for lockingthe arms and the ring B in anydesired posltion.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis 1. In a gun mounting, the combination with a well or chamber in whichthe gunner gun can be elevated and depressed with re-' spect to saidframe.

2. In a gun mounting, the combination with a well or chamber in whichthe gunner is accommodated, of a ring rotatably mounted at the upperpart of said well, a frame ivotally connected to said ring so that saidame can be displaced to vary the angle of elevation of the gun, andmeans for connect ingthe gun to said frame in such a manner that the guncan be elevated, depressed and trained with respect to said frame.

3. In, a gun mounting, the combination with a well or chamber in whichthe gunner is accommodated, of a ring rotatably mounted at the upperpart of said well, a frame composed of two arms connected to ether attheir. outer ends and pivoted to sai ring at their inner ends, and meansfor connecting the gun .to the outer ends of said arms in such a mannerthat the gun can be elevated and depressed with respect to said arms.

4. In an aeroplane gun mounting, the combination with the fuselage ofthe aeroplane, of a well or chamber in said fuselage for accommodatingthe gunner, a horizontal ring rotatably mounted at the up er part ofsaid well, said ring being made 0'? the same diameter as the width ofthe fuselage, a frame composed of two arms connected' to ether at theirouter ends and pivoted to tie ring at their inner ends, said arms beingmade of such length that their outer ends can by moving the arms abouttheir pivots be caused to project beyond the "ing a approximatelyselage, a frame composed of two arms connected together at their'outerends and pivoted to the ring at their inner ends, said arms being madeof such length that their outer ends can by moving the arms about theirpivots be caused to project beyond the sides' of the fuselage, and meansfor supporting the gun on said outer ends of the-arms.

in such a manner that the gun can be elevated and depressed with respectto said arms.

6. The combination, with an aerial craft, having a plat-form of a framerevoluble horizontally thereon, a support horizontally pivoted to saidframe, to swing through opposite vertical arcs of equal extent, saidsupport carrying'a gun, and means of axial rotation for said support,whereby the gun may revolve about the longitudinal axis of said support.v

7. The combination, with an aerial craft, having a platform, of a gunmount comprisframe horizontally revoluble upon said platform, and a gunsupport, also includin means for swinging said support throng oppositevertical arcs, to train the gun both upwardly and downwardly, auxiliarymeans of adjustment for the gun in the vertical lane of said arcs, andmeans of rotation ibr said gun about the longitudinal axis of saidsupport.

In testimony whereof, I aflix m signature. GEORGE HENRY C ALLENGER.

